Urinary retention is the inability to completely empty the bladder. A number of different pathophysiology can cause urinary retention. These include obstructive causes such as kidney stones, tumor or enlarged prostate in men, or non-obstructive causes such as weakening muscle tone or nerve related issues. Acute urinary retention is manifested with sudden onset of pain and discomfort which can potentially be a life-threatening medical condition requiring emergency treatment. Chronic urinary retention is a persistent inability to completely empty the bladder despite having an ability to urinate which can result in elevated post-void residual (PVR) urine volumes. Patients suffering from this condition can be presented with complications such as upper tract hydronephrosis.
A subset of male patients undergoing the Trans Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) suffer from chronic urinary retention after the procedure. Such patients may rely on self-catheterization or tube drainage to empty their urine. Others may suffer complications from high post-void residuals (PVRs). Drug therapy are designed to shrink the prostate by inhibiting or slowing the growth of prostate cells or relax the muscular tissue in the prostate capsule and bladder neck are commonly used for address urinary issues. However, they are known to cause significant adverse events and are in certain cases ineffective. For such reasons there is a need in the art for a method of delivering more effective treatment options to improve the clinical outcomes for the patients suffering from urinary retention.